Varun Chakravarthy was the second highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024 with 21 wickets in 15 games as he played a major role in KKR's title triumph.
The common theme in their opening game defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Quinton de Kock says having former Chennai Super Kings players Ajinkya Rahane and Moeen Ali in their ranks gave them key insights into the Chepauk conditions, which prompted the decision to field an extra spinner, a move that proved crucial in their eight-wicket win in the IPL match in Chennai on Friday.
The common theme in those defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
The superlative effort of 4-7 in 2.1 overs against the UAE saw Kuldeep Yadav bagging the man-of-the-match award and at the post-match presentation ceremony he got a chance to express his disappointment and question the logic behind his constant omission from the Playing XI.
The unexpected 10-day break has left both the RCB and the KKR with different goals to achieve and common challenges to hurdle over.
Such has been the problem of plenty for selectors in the T20 format that they are finding it difficult to even accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal -- a proven performer in T20 cricket.
KKR spinner Chakravarthy, who bagged two wickets, gestured to CSK's Dewald Brewis to leave the field after dismissing him for 52 in the IPL match in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Moeen Ali said he dominated Rajasthan Royals batters by thinking like one.
India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup signals a bold new era, with seven fresh faces ready to debut on the continental stage.
The likes of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel would all like to get some decent hit out there in the middle ahead of Sunday's clash against Pakistan.
Gill's highest score in the three Asia Cup matches has been an unbeaten 20 with the Test skipper failing to click in the games against Pakistan and Oman after a fruitful red-ball away series against England.
Kuldeep Yadav's artistry was too much for a clueless UAE to comprehend as India hardly broke a sweat in an emphatic nine-wicket victory in their Asia Cup opener in Dubai on Wednesday.
'I have said this before... Selection is not in my hands. If there is a fitness issue, I shouldn't be here playing for Bengal.'
If Punjab goes for a flat deck, there is no guarantee that the bowling unit can defend anything in the 220 range, especially when KKR have the likes of Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer in their ranks.
'Though I would like to see him in the playing XI, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the batting for the team.'
Shreyas Iyer had led KKR to their first IPL title in a decade last year. However, on Saturday, he returns as captain of a rejuvenated Punjab Kings chasing a play-off spot.
'It would have been 2-2 coming to the Wankhede (Stadium for final T20I). It would have been way more on the game. But it didn't happen.'
Shivam Dube remains a vital cog in India's T20 set-up and bowling coach Morne Morkel wants the Mumbai all-rounder to step up as a back-up medium pacer ahead of the T20 World Cup, in line with head coach Gautam Gambhir's philosophy of packing the XI with multi-skilled cricketers.
This is the first-ever India vs Pakistan final across 17 editions of the Men's Asia Cup since the tournament's inception in 1984.
Pakistan are currently in the second spot with two points, ahead of UAE (2 points) on net run rate.
'He has been working hard on his bowling. This was a perfect game for him.'
Abhishek Sharma was brutal and beautiful in equal measure during his scintillating 74 as India made a tricky chase look comfortable, winning an ill-tempered Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
With a five-match T20I series in October-November in Australia, five T20Is against South Africa at home in December and five T20Is against New Zealand at home in January 2026, Team India will now look to test itself, its combinations and youngsters against some of the world's best T20I teams ahead of the T20 WC 2026, which will start in early 2026.
Here are how the bowlers fared in Guwahati...
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav made optimal use of available resources in both departments as India did enough to beat a spirited Oman by 21 runs to end their league stage commitments in Asia Cup with a hat-trick of victories.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have little motivation left when they take on also ousted Sunrisers Hyderabad in an inconsequential IPL game in New Delhi on Sunday.
Shubman Gill enjoyed a phenomenal run with the bat in England, piling up 754 runs at an average of 75.40 with four centuries.
IMAGES from the 1st T20I played between India and England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.
The BCCI press conference scheduled at 1.30pm in Mumbai is 'expected to be delayed owing to weather disruptions'.
Both Chakravarthy and Warrier did not show any major symptoms for the infection.
IMAGES from the second T20I in Gqeberha played between India and South Africa on Sunday
Washington Sundar enhanced his reputation as a T20 hitter with India batting in top gear through the innings to comfortably chase down a target of 187 for a series levelling five-wicket win over Australia.
To defend their Asia Cup title, India must improve catching and find a steady middle order. Friday's dead rubber is a good chance to try these out.
The left-hander clobbered eight sixes and five fours in his scintillating 79 off 34 balls as India chased down a modest 133-run target in 12.5 overs.
The inclusion of Gill in the squad has raised doubts in the minds of management about who will open the innings for their side, along with left-hand batter Abhishek, in the tournament.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy's failure to clear fitness tests has ruled him out while Thangarasu Natarajan is racing against time to be battle-ready, making him doubtful for at least the early part of India's five-match T20 series against England, starting in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
Indian cricketers - both past and present - have voiced strong support for the armed forces following a daring cross-border strike
Unless a player picks up an injury in training, India's team is expected to wear the same look against a Pakistan squad that are without top stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, lending it a look of youth and experience.
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